Queering the Knight of Cups

We just did a really fun photoshoot on the dock, I felt like an amazonian warrior. We are at BC Witch camp 2018, on unseeded Squamish territory. My name is Adele, I live in Vancouver, unseeded Coast Salish territories, and we just shot the Knight of Cups. I feel an affinity to this card for multiple reasons, cups are a watery suit and the knight is an airy figure, and that combination of me, the water that takes action and moves and is still deep and emotional, but it gets shit done. It’s sort of like big, fast, scary, intense emotions but kind of fun emotions. I really love this card because it came up in a really important reading for me. Sharon, who’s also here at camp did a reading for me that’s also based on how I relate to people, romantic and sexual stuff, and this was the final card. Its was a really intense journey and mapping out of things, and despite all of the trauma, all of the fucked up shit. At the end of the day, to be able to take that leap and fall and love, it was this really beautiful beacon for me. No matter what happens I still have this capacity to move, and feel things swiftly, to “dive off the dock”.

I would tell my younger self that queer love is fun and resilient, and there is all that internalised shit, the trauma, the uncertainty and homophobia. I’m not saying the good saying the “the good stuff makes all the bad stuff worth it”. I don’t think it’s that easy. I think queer love is worth fighting for. Somethings are hard, but jumping in can also be really really really gratifying. There can be a fun-ness to the weightiness, and a swiftness that can embrace you. You have that drive to make it happen, that drive, that current is in you no matter. All of the cultural shit, all the fucked up family shit, that drive you to love and be loved is there. That is precious and also badass.

I like that they enmeshed, no matter what there is still that drive. It muddy, it’s gritty and you’re gonna get some scars. I’m a bit of a love warrior. I’m someone who moves very intuitively, so when I fall in love, it’s usually very intense and very swift, and there’s times when it just doesn’t happen and I pull back. Ok I will probably never do that again. Noticing the cycles. I still see that glimmer knowing that I can still jump in. Yeah there’s all this trauma and bullshit, but you can still go to a sex party, meet someone and fall in love or meet someone and play and become friends. Being able to take that chance. That willingness to play. Being able to go after it and that really magical thing happens.

Put on your armour, weather that is your lipstick or your favourite boots. Your queer armour, what ever makes you feel good, what ever protects you, and enforce those boundaries but also fight for the things you want.

Queer tarot is so important because we’ve been bequeathed this language, all these archetypes and we get to play with them. We get to reimagine the world with Queer Tarot, we can work through our relationships with others, with the earth with ourselves but we can also update that language and in doing that bring into being the things we want and desire. Or things that were already there and dormant but we just couldn’t see until we twisted the language or queered, or inverted it. Queer tarot not only reflects queer culture but has the ability to build it.*

* Transcription from Audio Interview

Thank so much for doing this with me Adele, thanks to BC Witch camp and thanks to Ashley Aron who did Adele’s make-up for this shoot. It was a really big day for me at camp that day and I really needed to hear all you had to say. Thanks for being the visible badass for all us humans who feel less visible. xx

The Knight of Cups – Adele – She / Her or They/Them – Queer feral femme

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Queer Tarot Cards

A queer Tarot photography project, based on the 22 Major Arcana cards.

The traditional tarot decks are super heteronormative, can be very white and gender binary. There’s very little representation in existing decks for a queer person to relate to. The queer tarot decks that do exist are mostly out of print or very hard to find. Starting with just the Major Arcana, this project aims to create community and tell queer stories through tarot.

Shooting portraits of queer people, inclusive of all genders, orientations, nationalities and ages in a style that reflects the individual’s association, embodiment or the bringing to life of the Tarot card they have chosen. The choice is their personal reflection of the interpretation of that Tarot card.

Each Tarot card will inspire one landscape photo, one portrait photo and a 1-2 minute video interview from that person, tell their story and explain why they relate, embody or love the card they’ve chosen – what Queer Tarot means to them.

Or get in contact directly :)

NewTarot Card inside Scoop

This newsletter list means I will email you twice a month-ish as I create the new Tarot Cards. Thank you for following this project as we create a Queer Tarot Deck together! Your support and encouragement makes this happen. Behind the scenes of the Tarot Cards, and the odd pen-pal letter to thank you for being awesome.